The border river between Poland and Germany is contaminated with a toxic substance, from which numerous fish have died. The authorities of the two countries are trying to find those responsible.
The fish carcasses on the banks of the Order are causing great concern.
nel./(dpa) The images are disturbing: many dead fish are floating on the banks of the Oder in eastern Germany – and the number of finds is increasing. The full extent has not yet been clarified, but the area has recently expanded. For example, a large number of cadavers were found in the Uckermark district on Thursday. The State Criminal Police Office in Brandenburg is investigating, the authorities are calling for contact with the water from the Oder to be avoided.
The death of fish in the river, which is currently running low, has been worrying people in Brandenburg on the border with Poland for days. Reports from eyewitnesses suggest several tons of dead fish, the State Office for the Environment in Brandenburg announced on Wednesday afternoon.
Criticism of Polish authorities
In addition, criticism was voiced that Poland had not informed the German authorities in good time. But even in Poland itself there are accusations that the population has not been warned not to eat fish from the Oder and not to bathe in the river. Dead fish were found in Poland at the end of July and water samples were taken.
“This ecological catastrophe would not have been of such magnitude if the German and Polish authorities had worked together more intensively,” criticized the managing director of the Bund für Umwelt und Naturschutz Deutschland, Antje von Brook, on Thursday. A comprehensive political reappraisal is necessary. The Brandenburg State Office for the Environment also announced that it had not received any official notification from the Polish side.
According to the Brandenburg Environment Ministry, the investigations revealed that an as yet unknown, highly toxic substance is flowing through the water. The first analysis results consistently showed that a strong wave of organic substances passed through Frankfurt an der Oder and has since continued downstream, currently to Schwedt. Ecosystem impacts suggested synthetic chemicals, most likely also toxic to vertebrates. But the reason for this remains unclear, the ministry announced late Thursday afternoon. Further test results are expected to be available on Friday.
Industry as a possible polluter
According to the Polish Environmental Protection Agency, the fish kill was probably caused by industrial water pollution. “Everything indicates that the pollution of the Oder, which has led to the death of numerous fish, could be of industrial origin,” said the deputy head of the authority, Magda Gosk, on Thursday. The Environment Agency is trying to use drone overflights to track down potential sources of pollution and determine the condition of the river. They are investigating what substance it is and “above all, who introduced this substance where into the Oder,” Gosk said.
The head of the Polish water authority, Przemyslaw Daca, said on Thursday that employees of his authority, anglers and volunteers had recovered a total of ten tons of dead fish. “This shows that we are dealing with a gigantic and appalling environmental catastrophe.”
Helpers remove the carcasses
At the beginning of August, the water authority in Wroclaw (Breslau) announced that the high oxygen content in the water deviated from the typical oxygen concentrations in summer. It is possible that a substance with strong oxidizing properties got into the water. In addition, the toxic substance mesitylene was detected in two places. The local public prosecutor’s office is investigating a possible environmental crime.
In Poland, the television station TVN24 showed pictures of volunteers collecting dead fish from the river on Thursday. One of the helpers complained that after coming into contact with the water, he developed reddish skin irritation on his hands. The helpers should get support from the Polish army in their work.